


Found

by seasonofthegeek



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Hope, Implied Character Death, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-02-05 11:14:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12793389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasonofthegeek/pseuds/seasonofthegeek
Summary: Ten years after the presumed death of Ladybug in the final battle against Hawkmoth, sightings begin to pop up, stirring up hope among those who lost her.





	1. Chapter 1

“Have you seen this?” Chloe hissed, holding up her phone. “Ladybug sighted on ten year anniversary of being presumed dead after final battle with Hawkmoth. Sources say—“

Alya took a quick look at the screen and pushed it down, daring a glance back at Adrien and Nino setting the dinner table. “We’ll talk about it later.”

“But—“

“Chloe, later,” Alya glared, nodding her head in the men’s direction.

“What are you guys whispering about?” Adrien asked, limping towards them, cane making a steady tap against the hardwood floor.

“It’s nothing.”

“I’ll bet twenty euros it’s about the Ladybug sightings,” Nino sighed, joining them. “Apparently someone found the earrings finally.”

Adrien blanched. “No, no.” He shook his head. “That’s not possible.”

“Come on, man, let’s sit down.”

Adrien gripped his arm, eyes brightening. “It’s her. It has to be.” He turned to Chloe. “Do you have a picture?” She exchanged a look with Alya but Adrien was already holding out an impatient hand. “Please. I need to see.”

“It’s from far away at night,” she warned, pulling the website back up. “There’s no way to tell—“

“It’s her. Nino, look! It has to be her, right?”

Nino took the phone out of his hand and handed it back to Chloe before taking hold of Adrien’s elbow and leading him to the couch. “It’s not her.”

“Adrien,” Alya began gently, settling down on the edge of the armchair across from them. “Marinette is gone.”

“I know you guys think that but…” He trailed off when Nino took his hand.

“It’s been years, dude. She’s not coming back. You know I want her back just as bad as you but—”

“We never found a body, Nino! You still don’t understand how the Cure works. Maybe it has just taken this long. She brought back so many people. Sometimes it would take longer to heal herself when she got hurt before.”

“But she always healed you,” Chloe pointed out, perching on the arm of Alya’s chair. “And you’ve never healed, Adrien. Not fully.”

He looked down at his left leg, scarred and twisted under the fabric of his slacks. “Well, no, but…”

“We all loved her. We all wish she could come back, but that’s not going to happen,” Alya swallowed, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “We need to find whoever has picked up the earrings and take them back.”

“Then I need my ring,” he said stubbornly.

“That’s not happening.” Nino’s voice was firm. “I already lost Marinette, and I refuse to lose you. You’re too invested in this. Chloe, Alya, and I will go out and bring the Miraculous back.”

“You said you would give me the ring back when I was ready to take it again. It’s been years. I’m ready.”

“No, you aren’t.”

“Is this about my leg because you know when I’m transformed, Plagg can—“

“It’s not about your leg.”

“It’s her, Nino. I can feel it.”

“I wish you were right, Adrien. I really, really do.”  
____________________________

“I can’t believe you don’t think it could be her,” Chloe accused, putting up the last clean dish. “Of all people, I thought you would’ve believed.”

Alya chuckled softly. “You think you know me that well?”

“I should after all these years.”

“Come on, I want to show you something before you leave.” Alya led her down the hall to her home office. The desk was piled high with books, loose paper, half-scribbled sticky notes, and other various work paraphernalia. She swept past it and opened the closet door.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Chloe whispered, eyes wide. “You went old school.” The back wall of the closet was covered in printed pictures of the new Ladybug. Articles and notes were neatly lined alongside them with various strings connecting the items.

Alya shrugged, plucking one of the red strings on the wall. “Honestly, it’s kept me sane through the whole process.”

Chloe stepped closer, staring at one of the clearest pictures. “It could be her, couldn’t it?” She tilted her head. “But that wouldn’t be right. She should be older now. This Ladybug looks almost like a teenager from what is clear enough to see.”

“I’ve thought about that,” Alya nodded. “But take Nino and Adrien. Neither one of them look older than that. Nino because of the Turtle Miraculous and Adrien because of the Cure bringing him back so many times.”

“I thought you said that was just a theory.”

“If you saw Adrien on the street, how old would you say he is?”

Chloe shook her head. “I don’t know. I know how old he is so it’s hard to picture him as anything else.”

Alya shuffled through some photos and held one up. “Okay, this is Adrien at seventeen.”

Chloe took the picture and smiled fondly. “Good grief, he had dumb hair.”

“Didn’t we all? Okay, here is one of Adrien I took last month.” Alya handed her another photo.

“First, I’m shocked you printed this off because who does that? And this might be surprising, but I actually do know what he looks like. We literally just had dinner with him,” Chloe drawled.

“Just look at the pictures.”

She frowned as she studied them side-by-side. “His hair and style changed, but…”

“But his face is exactly the same, right? Almost like it’s stuck between a teenager and a man. He carries himself like a thirty year old because that’s what he is, but if you didn’t know him,” Alya prodded.

“I would think he was twenty at the most,” Chloe gaped, eyes widening. “I guess the scruff he calls facial hair helps a little. How have I not realized this?”

“We see him all the time. It’s how he’s supposed to look to us. I didn’t see it myself until I started going back for old pictures of Marinette to compare to these new sightings.”

“And you think it’s because the Cure brought him back to life so many times?”

“It makes sense, doesn’t it? At some point, it had to do irreversible damage to his cellular structure. I think he doesn’t age because the Cure is still in effect somehow. His cells keep regenerating and keep him looking young.”

“Which would mean someone has been using the Ladybug Miraculous this entire time?”

“Maybe.”

“Then how do you explain his leg never healing?”

“That part I’m not sure of,” Alya grimaced.

“And you think Nino is aging slowly because of the Turtle so seeing them together doesn’t set off any alarms for people,” Chloe continued.

“I guess?” She shuffled through a few more photos and pulled an older one and more recent one of Nino. “I think his aging is a bit more substantial though still stunted.”

“Or he could just have really great genes.”

“I’ve seen his dad. Believe me, it’s not that.”

“But we’ve aged. I mean, very well obviously, but even I’m not silly enough to think I can pass for twenty.”

“How many times have you died?”

Chloe shuddered. “Only once and that was more than enough.”

“Only twice for me and I still have nightmares about it. I think maybe it had to happen more than that for the Cure to affect us. Chat Noir died over and over and over protecting Ladybug for years and she always brought him back.”

“Wow. Okay, so recap. Adrien hasn’t aged in a decade because he’s the luckiest guy in the world. Nino is aging slowly. And you and I are older but still kickass and looking good.”

“Also this could actually be Marinette if my theory about Adrien is true,” Alya added.

“Shit.”

“Think about that battle. Hawkmoth killed hundreds of people before we took him down and they all came back. No one was unaccounted for except Marinette.”

“I remember.”

“What kind of toll would that have taken on Tikki to bring back that many people at once? What if she had to tap into Marinette’s life force or something? Trixx says it’s possible.” Alya glanced back at the fox kwami curled up on top of a pile of papers, eyes closed. “We know you’re not sleeping, you faker.”

The kwami stretched slowly. “You were doing such a good job explaining, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“So this could really be Marinette?” Chloe pointed to one of the blurry pictures of Ladybug swinging across the skyline.

“Seems more likely than some random girl who resembles Marinette found the earrings we’ve searched for over the span of a decade and decided to start patrolling,” Trixx drawled. “Tikki could’ve used Marinette’s essence for one last Cure but left enough to keep her alive. But if they were both tapped, it would have taken years for Tikki to pull in enough energy again to bring Marinette back.”

“But it could be possible?”

“Anything is possible, sweets. We’re beings of magic and power.”

Chloe turned to study the pictures again. “But if it is Marinette, why hasn’t she come to us?”

Alya’s shoulders slumped. “That’s where it all kind of falls apart,” she admitted. “She loved Adrien and Nino more than anything. I can’t imagine her coming back and not going straight to them. Even if she wasn’t sure where to look, Tom and Sabine are still at the bakery. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Unless she doesn’t know who she is,” Chloe suggested with a frown. “That’s what happens sometimes after like comas and stuff, right?”

“Maybe.” Alya shook her head. “It’s late and I’m exhausted. Can we talk about this another time?”

“Are you going to sleep or are you going out to try to find her?”

“I don’t give you nearly enough credit,” Alya sighed.

Chloe grinned. “Let me go get Pollen. I’ll meet you at the Tower.”  
____________________________

“You’re mad at me.” Nino took out one of his contacts and let it slip into the solution. Adrien’s reflection shrugged back at him, half blurry. Nino moved to his other eye and removed the contact. He picked up his glasses and slid them on, turning around to lean against the counter. Adrien was seated on the side of their bathtub, lips pursed in a pout. “Go ahead and say what you want to say.”

“I think you’ve given up on Marinette and I don’t know what to do with that.”

Nino offered his arm and Adrien braced himself with it, standing up and hobbling beside him into their bedroom. He helped Adrien climb into the bed before circling to the other side and sliding into the sheets. He turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness and rolled onto his side so he could make out his partner’s silhouette. “It’s been ten years, Adrien.”

“I know that.”

“You know I loved her, but I can’t…I don’t know how you keep it up.”

“Love doesn’t just go away, Nino.”

He sighed wearily. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know how you stay so hopeful. The first year or so, I really thought she might come back to us, but then I had to accept that she was gone for my own sanity,” he admitted. “I told myself I still had you and that was enough.”

“But it’s not,” Adrien replied softly.

“It is for me.”

“She could be out there right now, looking for us.”

Nino reached across the space between them and cupped Adrien’s cheek, rubbing a thumb along the soft skin. “Maybe we can make a deal.”

“What?”

“I’ll admit that it’s possible this new Ladybug could somehow be our Marinette coming back to us if you admit that it’s possible she’s never coming back and this is all just a nightmare we’re going to have to get through.”

Adrien wanted to disagree. He knew this was Marinette with every fiber of his being. He could feel it. There was no reason to argue though. He had watched Nino withdraw more and more over the years since they had lost her. He hoped this would be enough to bring him back too.

“Deal,” he whispered, holding Nino’s palm to his lips for a kiss.  
____________________________

Ladybug landed on the balcony, flashes of memories lighting up in her mind too quickly to keep track. This place was familiar. It felt right. Finally something felt right. She ran a gloved hand along the faded canvas of the lounger stretched out. It looked old and brittle like it wouldn’t hold her weight if she sat down. Empty pots lined the railing, dead remnants of once flourishing plants the only thing left in them.

The smell. That’s what had brought her here. It smelled like fresh bread and warm heat and home. There had been a bakery on the street but it was late and dark. Besides, she was wary of interacting with anyone. The few times she had been spotted, people seemed too excitable. It made her uncomfortable.

The little voice in the back of her head pushed her to talk to someone. Maybe they could help her. Maybe they knew more than she did. But fear kept her in the shadows, chasing one fading memory after another. It felt like everything she was had been locked behind a heavy steel door in her mind and only small shadows could creep out through the lock. Ladybug felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes and she sighed in defeat, folding down to the dirty balcony floor and curling up in a ball. This was as good a place as any for the night. At least it smelled like what she though home should.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the kind words on the first chapter. Your support really means a lot! <3

“Adrien,” Sabine smiled warmly, offering him her arm as soon as he entered the bakery. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Sorry for dropping by unannounced.” He took her help gratefully and she led him to a small table.

“We’ve been expecting you,” Sabine replied, eyes tightening. “We’ve seen the reports too.”

Tom rounded the counter, holding out his hand, and Adrien shook it. “You’re looking good, son.”

Warmth spread through Adrien’s entire being. Even after all these years and everything they had gone through, Tom and Sabine made him feel like family. He doubted he would ever be able to repay them for that gift. “Thanks, sir. You do as well.”

“Ah, I’m just an old bread man,” Tom grinned, scratching at his gray hair. He glanced around the empty bakery and then returned his attention to Adrien, expression serious. “Do you know anything?”

He shook his head. “No more than you, but I have a feeling.”

“That’s not much to go on,” Sabine said carefully, eyes darting warily to her husband.

“I know. Believe me, Nino has already given me the talk,” Adrien sighed. “I wish someone could get a clearer picture just so we’d know. I want to go out and look myself but Nino is refusing to give me the ring. He says I’m not thinking clearly.”

“He loves you, sweetheart. He’s trying to protect you.”

“That’s not his call to make, Sabby,” Tom interjected. “If I remember correctly, Adrien gave up his ring because it was too much to handle after losing Mari and as the Guardian, Nino said he would give it back whenever Adrien was ready for it. Now’s that time.”

“Tom.”

“We need Chat Noir out there to bring our girl home.”

Adrien shrugged helplessly. “If you want to try to talk some sense into him, I’m not going to stop you.”

“Now both of you listen to me,” Sabine demanded, tone stern. “Of course we all want this to be Marinette. I would give anything to hold my little girl again, but we all need to realize that it is very possible that this is not her.” She linked her arm with Tom’s and ran her hand along the skin comfortingly. “It’s been years and we’re all still healing. I think Nino is trying to do what he thinks is best.”

“Sabine, I know you think we need to be careful, but what if it’s her? What if she’s out there, looking for us?”

The small woman held up a hand and gestured to their shop and home. “We haven’t gone anywhere, love. Where is she looking?”

Adrien deflated in his chair as he watched Tom’s face crumble. He shouldn’t have come here. He and Nino had fought about it earlier and Adrien ignored his advice and came anyway. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I shouldn’t have come. I’m opening up old wounds.”

“They’re still fresh,” Tom replied, voice quiet. “I think they always will be.”

“You’re always welcome here, Adrien, you know that.” Sabine put her other arm around his shoulders. “I just think we need to manage our hopes so they don’t run away from us. I don’t think I can go through losing her again.”   
____________________________

“You’re gay, right?”

“Some days.” Nino heaved a sigh and turned to his office mate. “I know I’ll regret this, but why?”

Noel grinned. “I want to set you up with this guy who just moved into my building. He’s got this awesome gym body. I could see you with a muscle guy.”

Nino adjusted the framed photo of he and Adrien on his desk. “Noel, you know I’ve been with Adrien for over a decade.”

“Sure, but you guys just like switch partners all the time, right? Besides, doesn’t that guy walk with like a cane or something? I’m telling you, Peter would be a great guy for you, and bonus, he could get us discounts on home entertainment centers.”

“I think now would be a good time for you to shut the hell up,” Nino growled.

Noel put up a hand. “Fine, fine. Be all huffy. I’m just trying to help you out.” He swiveled in his desk chair.

Nino took a deep breath, trying to ease his temper back down. It always felt like anger was right under the surface lately. He opened his desk drawer and Wayzz blinked owlishly back up at him. They stared at each other and Nino could almost feel the kwami’s peacefulness flowing towards him. He inhaled again and nodded thanks before sliding the drawer closed.

Alya’s face flashed on his phone screen. “Hello?”

“Nino! Thank God! Okay, you need to get over to Alya’s apartment now,” Chloe said quickly. There was a crash in the background and a loud yell.

Nino stood, pushing his desk chair back. “What’s going on?”

“Alya, she’s getting away!” There was a loud thump as if Chloe had dropped the phone and muffled footsteps. Nino listened, ears straining to make out anything of sense. 

“Stop stabbing her!”

“It’s the only way to keep her calm!”

“Chloe! Chloe!” Nino grabbed his jacket, Wayzz zipping into the pocket, and left the office, ignoring Noel’s irritated look.

“Sorry,” Chloe panted after a few seconds. “She got out and I had to use Venom again.”

“What the hell is going on?!”

“Ladybug. We have Ladybug.”

Nino froze on the sidewalk, heart jumping into his throat. “Is it…is she…”

“I’m…we’re not sure. I think so, but…maybe don’t bring Adrien yet.”  
____________________________

“Hey, man, it’s good to see you,” Nathaniel grinned, shaking Adrien’s hand. “It’s been too long since we did lunch together. What’re you in the mood for?”

“I just left Tom and Sabine’s and they stuffed me full so I’ll just be company today,” Adrien chuckled. “So whatever you want works for me.”

“I can’t even be mad. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten out of there without being forced into seconds on a meal.”

“They’re pretty great like that.”

“I could really go for a hot sandwich if that sounds good.”

“Lead the way,” Adrien nodded.

“So I don’t know if Chloe told you at dinner the other night, but…” Nathaniel trailed off, pulling out his ringing phone. “Hang on just a sec. It’s Chlo. Hey…what?!” He looked at Adrien in shock and Adrien felt something inside tighten in anticipation. “Shit, okay, on the way.” He ended the call and looked at Adrien again. “They found Ladybug.”

Adrien felt all the breath go out of him in a rush but he gave a jerky nod. “Let’s go.”  
____________________________

Rena Rouge ran her palms up her face. “This was so not how I saw my Monday morning going.” She frowned at Chloe. “Maybe you should stay transformed in case she wakes up again.”

Chloe shook her head. “She’s not waking up for a while this time, trust me. I made sure of it.”

They looked down at the fallen form of Ladybug, curled up against the far wall of the guest bedroom. 

“Maybe we should at least move her to the bed.” Dropping her transformation, Alya crossed the room and gathered the young woman up. She looked at her face as she set her on the bed. “It’s really her,” she whispered, brushing the loose hair away from her face.

“She really needs to get cleaned up. She doesn’t smell great.”

“I think maybe we’ll save that for when she isn’t freaking out,” Alya suggested. “She had no idea who we are.”

“None of this even feels real. I can’t believe we found her.”

“Right when we we’re giving up too.”

“Should we let Tom and Sabine know she was on the balcony?”

Alya shook her head. “Not yet. I don’t want to get them involved until we know more.”

Chloe sat down on the side of the bed and reached a tentative hand out to touch the dull material of Ladybug’s suit. “Geez, I thought she was skinny when we were kids. Now she looks…”

“Like she hasn’t had a decent meal in ten years?”

“Seriously, what the hell? How is she here, Al?”

“I don’t know.” Alya turned to her kwami. “Is there any way we can force her to drop her transformation? How is Tikki even holding out at this point?”

Trixx frowned. “They may be bonded. We can do that in times of emergency. That means the transformation isn’t going to drop until Tikki allows it to. Trying to force it would hurt them both.”

“The poor soul is probably so confused,” Pollen crooned, landing in Chloe’s lap. “I had to bond with a holder once. It was a horrid experience. He never was quite the same after that.”

“Reassuring. Thanks,” Alya said dryly. 

Heavy footsteps sounded through the apartment and Nino appeared in the doorway, too much white showing around his eyes. Alya stood so he had a better view and he went to his knees, keys dropping from his hand as he gripped the doorframe to keep from going completely flat on the ground. “It’s her,” he whispered.  
____________________________

Her eyelids felt too heavy. That was the first thing she noticed. Warmth was the second. It took her a few minutes to place the feeling; it had been too long since she’d experienced it. Ladybug shifted and put the little energy she had into forcing her eyes open. She blinked a few times to clear them enough to see. A light softly glowed in the corner of the room. She could make out the edges of it without turning her head. The ground had give beneath her and after a few moments, she realized she was on a bed. It had taken her longer than she liked to remember the word.

Fear started a steady course through her veins. She’d been taken. She remembered now. She was sleeping in the place that smelled like home and then she was being forced away from it. She saw things that didn’t make sense and there was stinging and…and then sleep again.

She sat up quickly, head swiveling to take in her surroundings. A young man sat in the armchair in the corner, expression blank. He held up his hands. “It’s okay, Marinette,” he said gently. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Ladybug curled up against the headboard as far from him and the door as she could get, eyes wide behind her mask.

“I know things probably seem a little scary. We’re going to figure everything out.”

He spoke slowly and she appreciated that. Everything felt like such a whirlwind since she woke up in the dark place before. How long ago had that been? Time stopped having meaning at some point. She tried to keep up with the sun and moon but it was too hard to track sometimes.

Nino swallowed thickly, trying to stay as still as possible when every impulse told him to run to her and hold her to him and never let go. “My name is Nino. Do you remember me?”

Ladybug’s eyes darted to his face and then back down to the blanket. She shook her head slightly.

Although her answer stung, she was responding and that was something. Nino eased his body to the edge of the seat. He could see her watching him out of the corner of her eye and her muscles tensed. “It’s still okay,” he assured her. “Wayzz, can you say hello?”

Wayzz floated out, lighting on the bed at the opposite end of Ladybug. Her brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of the creature in front of her. She tilted her head curiously, lips moving but no sound coming out.

“Yes,” Wayzz nodded. “I am like Tikki. Do you feel Tikki?”

The little voice that talked to her sometimes rose and Ladybug nodded slowly.

“That’s very good, Ladybug.”

“Ladybug,” she whispered.

“That is your name like this.” Wayzz lifted into the air and floated closer. Ladybug pulled back and he stopped where he was, dropping back down to the bed. “You have another name too. Do you remember it?”

She spared a quick glance at Nino and bit her lip.

“Marinette,” Wayzz continued patiently. “Your name is Marinette.”

“Marinette,” she breathed, a spark igniting in her eyes. “Marinette.”

“Very good,” Wayzz nodded. 

A door somewhere in the apartment slammed and Ladybug stiffened before jumping off the bed and flattening herself against the far wall, eyes wide. Nino went to the bedroom door, wrenching it open and paling as Adrien hobbled towards him angrily.

“It’s my fault!” Nathaniel apologized, running after him. “I didn’t realize no one was telling him and Chloe called me—“

“Idiot!” Chloe smacked Nathaniel on the back of the head and he rubbed at the spot, scowling.

“Let me see her,” Adrien growled.

“Adrien, she’s not—“

“I can’t believe you would do this to me. Let me in, Nino.”

Nino’s shoulders slumped and he let the door open wider. Adrien stumbled in and Nino caught his arm, steadying him. Both men looked at the frightened superhero cowering against the wall.

“Marinette,” Adrien whispered, tears falling down his cheeks. “My Lady, it’s you.”

She stared back at him with no recognition in her eyes, only trembling fear.


	3. Chapter 3

“Are you hungry?” Adrien offered Ladybug the plate Alya had handed him. Ladybug stared at the sandwich, eyes going wide and her teeth biting into her bottom lip. Her stomach let out a loud growl but she didn’t move from her spot at the head of the bed. 

Adrien set the plate on the end of the bed and stepped back to the door, leaning against the frame. “Go ahead,” he encouraged, but she didn’t budge.

“Maybe if we give her some privacy,” Chloe suggested from beyond the room, peering in. “She can’t get out of there in this state. The windows are nailed shut anyway. We learned that when she tried to escape earlier.”

“Isn’t that a fire hazard?” Nathaniel asked from his place on the couch.

“Take it up with my landlord,” Alya sighed. “That’s probably a good idea. Maybe she’s over stimulated by all of us.” 

Adrien frowned, looking across the room at Nino. “Are you staying in here?”

Nino glanced at Ladybug who gave him a blank expression. “I don’t guess there’s any reason to,” he said finally, standing. “Eat and rest, Mari. We’ll talk again in a bit.” He moved past Adrien who leaned against the doorframe. 

Ladybug looked up at him, still not moving towards the plate. “I guess you want me to leave too, huh?” he asked.

She didn’t respond but continued to watch him. Alya slid her arm around his waist. “Come on, Sunshine. Let’s give her some time.” She helped him to the couch and Chloe closed the bedroom door.

“I don’t know how to feel,” Adrien admitted, settling down next to Nathaniel.

“I know what you mean,” Chloe said, sitting beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder and Nathaniel put his arm around them both as far as he could reach.

The apartment door opened and everyone looked back to see Nino pulling on his coat. “Where do you think you’re going?” Alya asked, hand on her hip.

Nino looked past her at Adrien. “I need some fresh air. I’ll be back later.”

“You can’t leave her.”

“She doesn’t even know who I am. I don’t think she’s going to care, Adrien.” He stepped into the hallway and shut the door.

Chloe squeezed Adrien’s arm comfortingly. “Give him some time.”

“He’s being an ass,” Alya spat. 

“I kind of get it though,” Nathaniel said. “I mean, come on, guys. This is Nino. He essentially buried her when none of us could handle it. He mourned and healed and suddenly in the span of a few days, everything is turned on its head after a decade. I’m pretty sure we’re all going to be spinning soon, it’s just taking longer to catch up.”

“Stop trying to be reasonable,” Alya fumed. “Adrien’s not being a douche bag.”

“Nath is right though,” Adrien said quietly, glancing at the closed bedroom door. “Nino never believed she was still alive. I don’t think he knows what to do right now.” He looked up at Alya. “You know he can’t stand not being in control of his emotions since...”

Adrien trailed off and an awkward silence fell over the room. Nathaniel’s hand absently went to the small brooch on his jacket and Nooroo pressed a comforting paw to his chest from inside his jacket.

Alya slumped down in her armchair. “I think sometimes I forget that Nino’s changed. He’s never been the same since Hawkmoth used him like a puppet. I still see goofy DJ Nino and that guy is gone.”

“He’s not gone,” Adrien argued. “He’s just…not always on the surface.”

“It’s why he gave me this,” Nathaniel said, fingering the round purple stone. “He said he hated the thought of it being in your home, and he trusted me to keep it safe.”

Another silent moment spread through them and Chloe huffed, shifting her position on Adrien’s other side. “Enough about the past. We’ve got Marinette back now, so what’s our next move? She can’t just stay in your bedroom forever.” 

“I need my ring.”

Alya’s eyes lit up with understanding. “You think she would recognize Chat Noir.”

Adrien nodded. “At the very least, maybe Plagg could reach out to Tikki. They are two halves of a whole after all.”

“She didn’t know me or Alya when we were transformed though,” Chloe pointed out.

“I think Chat would be different.”

“And what could it hurt to try?” Nathaniel shrugged.

“Do you know where Nino has it?”

Adrien scowled. “I used to but he moved it since I started asking for it, and I’ve looked everywhere I could think of in our apartment.”

“I know he’s technically the Guardian and it’s his job to keep the Black Cat and Peacock Miraculous safe right now but I still say he’s an ass,” Alya muttered. 

“He wouldn’t take them anywhere else, would he?”

“I don’t think so,” Adrien replied, “but I’m really not sure. I looked everywhere at home I could think of. When he took on the Turtle, he swore to Fu that he would guard them with his life. I don’t know how you do that if they’re somewhere else.” He wrung his hands together. “And honestly I don’t feel right talking about taking them. It would be different if I found them at home but this almost feels like planning and he’s my partner. That’s sketchy.”

Alya sighed. “You’re right. Nino’s not the enemy. He’s just being an ass right now.”

Chloe grinned. “Call him an ass one more time.”

“Ass.” Alya stood and stretched. “You guys stay here with Marinette and call me if there’s any change.” She crossed the room and grabbed her jacket. “Feel free to order a pizza or something.”

“Where are you going?”

“To find Nino and get Adrien’s ring.”

Adrien pushed himself up and hobbled towards her. “Look, Al, I appreciate it, but—“

She cut him off with two fingers to his lips. “Look, I know Nino’s your boyfriend but he and I have our own special relationship. I think I can talk some sense into him.” She winked and finished buttoning her coat. “Why don’t you go peek in on our girl? I’ll be back soon.”  
____________________________

“You didn’t get far,” Alya drawled, taking the other side of the bench.

Nino glanced at her and then returned his attention to the frozen fountain in the middle of the courtyard outside her building.

“Is this because she doesn’t recognize you? Because she doesn’t recognize any of us.”

“It isn’t that,” he muttered.

“Is it because you thought she was never coming back?”

“It sounds bad when you say it out loud.”

Alya scooted closer, linking her arm through Nino’s. “We all thought she was dead.”

“Adrien didn’t. He always believed she was going to come back.”

“Adrien also believes that people are inherently good. Adrien still visits Gabriel in prison even though I want to throttle him every time he says he’s going. He’s not exactly the most credible source.”

Nino scrubbed at his face with his hand. “Alya, what does it say about me though? The three of us were in a relationship. I was in love with Marinette, but...but when I thought she died, that part of me died with her.” He swallowed hard. “I told myself that I love Adrien and it was selfish to hope when I still had him.” 

“Nino…”

“It was all my fault.”

It took a moment for Alya to follow his line of thought. “Mayura was controlling you.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

She linked her fingers with his and squeezed. “You listen to me, Nino Lahiffe. You and I are the only ones who know what went down in that room the day Hawkmoth was defeated. You weren’t in your right mind and I have never once blamed you for what happened.”

“That makes one of us.”

“Marinette did what she always did. She took care of everyone. She saved the day. No matter what, she was going to do that.”

He sighed, looking over at her. “How many times have we had this conversation?”

“Too many and not enough,” she smiled. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

He chuckled but it was a bitter sound. “I think he’ll leave me.”

“Why?”

“I’m not the same guy he fell in love with but he’s Adrien so he’s stuck around. Now that Marinette’s back though, it won’t be like it was before. The three of us were happy and young and in love. It’ll be different now.”

“You can’t know that,” Alya argued.

He shrugged. “You have to admit I’m different. I see it. I know you do. I heard you call me an ass a few times before I finally made it away from the door. I don’t want to be. Some days I think I can go back to being good ole Nino, but it feels like a mask.”

“We only want you to be yourself.”

“I’m not sure I know who that is anymore.”

Alya shivered and released his hand, standing. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“To your place. We need to get Adrien’s ring to see if Ladybug will react to Chat Noir.”

“And the truth comes out.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “You’re not willing to try?”

Nino groaned, looking up at the sky. He dropped his head and reached into his pocket, producing the black ring with its vibrant green paw print.

Alya plucked it from his fingers. “You just carry this around?!”

“Lately. Adrien was snooping. He’s not nearly as stealthy as he thinks.”

“You have to let him do this.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know. I was just trying to keep him safe as long as I could.”

Alya kissed his cheek. “We’ll all be looking out for him, I promise. Come on, let’s go back upstairs.”  
____________________________

Chloe and Nathaniel watched Adrien slip into the bedroom once more. “No way this ends well.”

“That’s the spirit,” Nathaniel replied, rolling his eyes. “Come on, let’s be positive.”

“The timing isn’t great, huh?” Chloe stretched out, putting her feet in his lap.

“You haven’t said anything to anyone yet, have you?”

“There hasn’t exactly been a good moment. Literally when I thought I would tell Alya, we spotted Ladybug on the balcony.”

“And it’s been a whirlwind ever since.”

“Pretty much.”

“I was going to tell Adrien at lunch, but then you called. We can’t just not tell them we’re moving out of the country.”

Chloe twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. “I don’t see why not. We’ve never told them we’re dating.”

He shook his head and began to massage her feet. “I think they’ve picked up on that.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it. A dense group, this one.”

“Actually you’re probably right. I’m pretty sure they think you’re still dating that pop star. What was her name? Gemma? Janie?”

“Aww, don’t be jealous,” she teased. She sighed and laid her head back against the couch arm. “Maybe I can talk to the higher ups and get the transfer pushed out a few months. The new office isn’t ready yet anyway.”

“Is that really something you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I’m not super sure I even want to leave Paris now.”

“Not exactly comforting when we’re supposed to be moving to London in less than a month.”

“I know, I know.” She sat up and grabbed his hands. “I think I need a few days to process everything, okay? Can you give me that?”

He nodded. “Yeah, of course. Just keep me in the loop this time.”  
____________________________

“I brought you a water,” Adrien said softly, rolling the bottle across the bed. Ladybug looked down at it and then back up at him. “I see you ate the sandwich. Do you want something else?”

She slowly shook her head and picked up the water bottle, primly unscrewing the top.

“Do you want me to leave you alone again?”

Her brow furrowed under her mask and she shook her head again. “Stay,” she whispered.

Adrien nodded and hobbled over to the chair Nino had been sitting in earlier. He could feel her eyes on his movements and tried to make them smoother but his leg muscles spasmed and he dropped into the chair with a sigh.

“Hurt,” she said, voice still quiet.

“It happened a long time ago.”

She opened her mouth to speak again but a soft knock on the door had her snapping her lips shut. Alya poked her head in. “Adrien, could you come out here for a minute?”

He glanced at Ladybug. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

She nodded and watched him slowly circle the bed and disappear through the door, closing it behind him.  
____________________________

“I’m sorry,” Nino said, holding out the Black Cat Miraculous.

“Thank you.” When Adrien’s fingers came in contact with the ring, Plagg appeared in a shining ball of green light. 

“Well, it’s about time, Kid.”

Adrien beamed at the kwami, sliding the ring on his finger. “Sorry. I guess that nap was a little longer than either of us expected.”

Plagg made a show of stretching. “I could’ve slept some more.” He glanced around the room and frowned. “Something tells me it was a little longer than I thought though. Where’s my Camembert?”

Adrien’s face fell. “Crap.”

Alya returned from the kitchen with a block of cheddar. “Take this for now and we’ll buy you enough Camembert to drown in later.”

Plagg eyed her suspiciously. “Name brand?”

“Adrien?”

“Of course.” He took the plate of cheese from Alya. “Please, Plagg. Marinette and Tikki need us.”

“You found them?”

“They’re bonded,” Nino said softly.

Plagg swore and tore off a chunk of cheese. “I knew I should’ve stayed asleep.”  
____________________________

Ladybug leaned back against the headboard of the bed. She could hear muffled voices through the door but she didn’t feel brave enough to move closer. The food from earlier had settled in her stomach now and she was realizing she was still hungry. Maybe the blonde man would come back and offer her more food. He had kind, familiar eyes.

The door creaked open and she stiffened when black, clawed fingers appeared around the edge. Chat Noir was suddenly standing in the open doorway and Ladybug’s world shifted into place as if it had been tilted and she hadn’t realized it before this moment.

“Chaton,” she breathed, eyes wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At some point, I am going to flashback and explain everything that happened in the battle against Hawkmoth but for now, little tidbits are all you get. :D


	4. Chapter 4

Red gloved hands framed Chat Noir’s face as tears fell over his mask. “I’ve missed you so much, my Lady.”

“I’ve been looking for you for days,” Ladybug whispered with a watery smile. “I woke up and I didn’t know where I was and I couldn’t remember anything and…and…” She trailed off at the pained expression on his face. “Something bad happened.” Her eyes grew wide and she looked around frantically. “Where’s Nino?!”

“I’m here.” Nino stood in the doorway of the bedroom, a fine tremor running up his spine as her attention fell on him. Ladybug reached out her hand and Nino sat down on the bed, catching her as she fell against him. Her other hand still held on tightly to Chat Noir’s hand. 

“You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re both okay,” she chanted, burying her face against Nino’s neck. He glanced over her head at his boyfriend and Chat Noir gave him a small smile. Nino tightened his hold on Ladybug and kissed the top of her head.

“We’re okay now,” he whispered, holding her close.  
____________________________

“I think we might have trouble,” Alya sighed, slumping down in the armchair after easing the bedroom door closed once Nino had entered. What was left of a pizza was cooling on the coffee table and she reached for a slice. 

“What’s going on? She knew both of them, right?” Chloe asked, tossing a balled up napkin to the table.

Alya frowned. “I was listening with Nino before he went in and she said something to Adrien that’s bothering me; that she had been looking for him for days.”

“She didn’t even know who he was an hour ago.”

“I know.” Alya took a bite of pizza and chewed thoughtfully. “Maybe she’s been in and out of lucidity?”

“Still, Marinette’s been missing ten years. How crazy would she have to be to think it’s only been a few days?” Chloe leaned back against the arm of the couch and pushed the tips of her toes under Nathaniel’s butt to warm them. He glanced down at the striped socks disappearing under his jeans and shook his head. 

“You think she really has been out this whole time and doesn’t realize how long it’s been?” Nathaniel shook his head. “That’s not going to be great.”

“Maybe she just woke up. That was one of your theories, right, Al?”

“I don’t know. I think she’s still in too much shock to realize how different the guys look but at least they haven’t aged a decade.” Alya worried her bottom lip. “She might freak out when she really sees us. I don’t want to make it worse.”

“Well, they can’t just stay in there forever. She’s going to have to find out,” Chloe said. “Should we see if they’re hungry?”

The trio looked towards the closed door. 

“Maybe we should give them a little more time,” Alya finally answered, tone laced with worry.  
____________________________

“I don’t understand. We’d made the plan to take down Hawkmoth and Mayura and,” Ladybug turned to Chat Noir, “you wanted a chance to try to talk to him one last time as his son. I remember that part. You went in and he…he did something awful. You screamed and I ran to you and…” Her face crumpled. “I can’t remember much after that. How long was I messed up? Did he give up the brooch?”

The men exchanged worried looks.

“Stop doing that and just tell me.” Her voice was soft but firm. “Things are different. You guys are different and I’m trying not to freak out but it’s really hard so please just tell me.”

Nino took her hand gently, rubbing his thumb along the black spot on top. “Mari, you’ve been missing for a long time. We thought—“

“Missing? I wasn’t missing. I was…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t know where I was,” she whispered. “How long?”

“Maybe this is too much right now,” Chat Noir said gently.

“How long, Nino?” Ladybug pressed.

“Ten years last Tuesday.”

Ladybug gasped, her free hand flying to her mouth to hold in a sob. She shook her head. “Not possible,” she breathed.

“We looked for you everywhere,” Chat Noir murmured, bringing her hand down and linking it with his. “I knew you would come back. I knew it; we just had to be patient.”

“The city announced Ladybug’s sacrifice and even still honors that day and we had a small gathering of friends and family to say goodbye to Marinette,” Nino added, voice almost robotic as he recited the facts. 

Her eyes widened, bright blue in the mask of red and black. “My parents think I’m dead?! Alya? Chloe?”

Nino grimaced and didn’t meet her eyes. “You were gone so long.”

“But everyone is going to be so happy to see you,” Chat Noir included with a warning look shot at Nino. “And Alya, Chloe, and Nathaniel are in the other room whenever you’re ready. Alya and Chloe are actually the ones who found you. You were asleep on your old balcony above the bakery.”

“The bakery?” Her face screwed up in confusion. “No, that’s not right. The last night I remember, I fell asleep on the observation deck of the Tower. You know that spot where we would meet, Kitty?”

He nodded. “I think you might be missing some things. It could have to do with being bonded with Tikki for so long.”

“If you’re up to it, maybe you can drop your transformation and we can go from there,” Nino said.

Ladybug hung her head. “I can’t.”

“Can’t?”

“I don’t know how to drop my transformation. I don’t think Tikki’s there anymore.”

Chat Noir frowned. “She has to be there. That’s how your suit is intact. Can you see if you can reach out to Tikki?”

They sat in silence as Ladybug became more frustrated. “I can’t do it,” she cried softly after a few moments. “I keep trying but it’s like Tikki isn’t there. There was a voice before…I think it was her, but it’s gone now.”

Chat Noir moved a lank section of her hair away from her face and slid it behind her ear. “We should take a break.”

“I want to be me again,” she moaned pitifully. “I want to shower and eat and…and what if I’m stuck as Ladybug forever?”

“You aren’t going to be stuck forever,” Nino said confidently. “Wayzz, any ideas?”

The small kwami rubbed his chin. “Perhaps she could give her transformation to Chat Noir. They are two halves of a whole after all.”

“Can you explain that please? Not the two halves thing because I think I’ve heard that about a million times now but the giving her transformation to me bit,” Chat Noir prodded. “I think we thought me being like this would do that trick on its own.”

“Marinette, think of your transformation as a ball of energy that you could hand off. You’re going to hand it to Chat,” Wayzz explained.

Ladybug’s brows furrowed beneath her mask. “A ball of energy?”

Chat Noir’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Okay, I did something like this in therapy after…everything and it was actually really helpful.” He shifted his position so he could face her as Nino watched them warily. “Close your eyes, sweetheart.” She obeyed with a nervous nod. “I want you to picture yourself as Marinette wearing a Ladybug costume. Not this one, but one you made.”

“Okay,” she replied, tone uncertain.

“Now, take the costume off and give it to me. You can do it quickly or slowly.” He saw her frown and continued quickly. “Maybe it’s in pieces? Can you slide the gloves off?” 

Ladybug’s lips formed a thin line and she nodded, eyes still closed. “Off.”

“Okay, imagine I’m standing there with you.”

“As Adrien or Chat?”

“Whichever you choose.”

She nodded tentatively. “Okay, you’re here.”

“Good. Now hand me your gloves, Mari. And you probably have boots. Kick those off too. I’ll pick them up.” He squeezed her hand. “Now this is a big one, okay? There’s a zipper going down your chest just like I’ve got one my suit. I want you to unzip it and let the rest of the costume slide off. Can you do that for me, my Lady?”

“I can do it,” she whispered. Chat Noir and Nino watched her hands come up and grab the imaginary zipper, sliding it down her chest. “There.”

“Thank you. You’re doing so good. Now the only thing left is your mask. Are you ready to take that off too?”

Ladybug swallowed thickly but didn’t reply.

Nino and Chat Noir exchanged looks and grabbed each of her hands. “We’re here, Maribug. Come back to us,” Nino said softly.

She let out a shuddering breath as her transformation fell away in jerking flashes. Tikki collapsed in an unmoving lump in Marinette’s lap. 

“Chat Noir, if you will. I’ll need Plagg’s energy to help Tikki,” Wayzz said, already lifting the red kwami up. Adrien dropped his transformation and the trio of kwamis went to the chair, Plagg and Wayzz speaking in low voices over Tikki’s limp form. Wayzz lifted his head and made an odd clicking noise and Trixx, Pollen, and Nooroo phased through the door and joined them.

Marinette slowly opened her eyes and both men smiled at her. 

“Welcome back, Princess,” Adrien grinned, kissing her cheek.   
____________________________

“Okay, what’s that look for?” Chloe rolled her eyes in Alya’s direction.

Alya pursed her lips. “You two are sleeping together.”

Nathaniel laughed and Chloe glared at him. “What makes you say that?” she demanded.

“There’s a vibe.”

“A vibe? You’re so full of crap. Did you tell her, Nath?!”

He held his hands up in defense. “I promise I haven’t said a word.”

Chloe sighed and leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms. “Fine, we’re sleeping together.”

“Also dating,” Nathaniel added. “It’s obviously been a dream come true. Isn’t she the sweetest?”

“Shut up, Red.” Chloe pushed against his shoulder with a pout and he chuckled, putting his arm around her. 

Alya grinned. “I didn’t even realize things were like that between you guys. I thought you were still dating that singer. What was her name? Jenny or something?”

Chloe waved a hand. “That was over months ago.” She tilted her head back to look at her boyfriend and he smiled down fondly at her. “Then this loser somehow wormed his way in.”

He snorted and gave Alya an incredulous look. “She breaks up with her girlfriend, shows up at my door with a bottle of wine and very inappropriate lingerie under nothing but a fancy trench coat and somehow it’s my fault we started dating. Tell me who in their right mind would’ve said no to that.”

“Liar!”

Alya cackled. “Okay, I definitely believe Nath’s story. That is so a you-move, Chlo.”

Chloe sat up and flipped her hair. “Whatever. I guess I’ll just look for a new boyfriend and best friend now.”

“So you and Marc didn’t work out?” Alya asked, looking past her to Nathaniel.

“No, we did,” he said carefully.

“They do,” Chloe added with a mischievous smile.

“I don’t want to know the details, do I?”

“It’s not cheating, if that’s what you think,” Nathaniel quickly replied. “He’s still my boyfriend and—“

“And I’m his girlfriend,” Chloe shrugged. “It works.”

Alya pursed her lips. “So you and Marc?”

“Definitely not. He’s super cute but just doesn’t float my boat in bed,” Chloe explained. “We tried but no thanks.”

“I see. So I’m the only one over here not grouping it up, huh?”

“We could make room for you,” Chloe winked. “I remember that night in college fondly.”

Alya snorted. “I’ll pass for now but ask me again in three years if I’m still single.”

The bedroom door creaked open and Adrien poked his head out. “Is it okay if we take Marinette to the shower? We offered to go home but I don’t think she’s quite ready to leave yet. She said it feels safe here.”

Alya stood up quickly. “Of course. Let me go put out some towels.”

“Uh, before you do, I think she wants to say hello.” He ducked his head back in the room. “Are you ready, sweetheart?”

The door widened and a thin Marinette in worn and dirty clothes appeared at Adrien’s side. Her hair was longer now as if the magic of her transformation had kept hidden most of the damage her decade of unknown status had done. The dark tresses were tangled and matted and her eyes and cheeks were sunken. She leaned on Adrien as he limped them forward, but her other hand was held behind her, keeping a tight hold on Nino.

Marinette looked at the other three people in the room, confusion flashing across her face. She opened her mouth but didn’t speak, her lips shutting again.

Alya took a tentative step forward with a smile. “Hey, girl.” She gave an awkward wave. “I know. I look like my mom now, huh? It freaks me out a little too.”

Tears filled Marinette’s eyes and she released her partners’ hands to step forward and fall against Alya as the other woman’s arms closed around her. “I missed you too, Marinette,” Alya whispered, squeezing her tight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So...oops, it has almost been a year since the last update. Someone was kind enough to commission a new chapter so it got on my to-do list so thank you so much, Muse. I forgot how much I enjoy writing this story even though it tears my heartstrings out. <3

“How’s the water?” Adrien asked, leaning forward to dip his fingertips beneath the surface of the bath.

“Feels nice,” Marinette murmured, sinking down lower. “Really good.”

“Good,” he smiled. “I think you’ll really like the tub we have at home. It’s deep and wide and great for sharing.” He looked back over his shoulder at Nino but the other man didn’t react.

“Did we move?” Marinette’s brow furrowed. “Or I guess you guys moved if it’s really been…” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, you don’t have anything to apologize for.” Adrien leaned further still and lost his balance, tilting towards the floor with a flail. Nino realized what was happening belatedly, kneeling down beside him and helping him back up on the closed toilet lid. 

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

Marinette sat up, the water rushing around her. “You’re hurt.”

Adrien shrugged. “I’m used to it; it’s fine. I just forget to catch myself sometimes.”

“Show me,” she demanded. Adrien looked to Nino and Marinette huffed. “I told you guys to stop doing that.”

Nino offered an arm and Adrien used it to pull himself upright. He unbuttoned his slacks and pushed them down until they finished falling around his ankles. Marinette let out a horrified gasp, her hand flying to mouth as she took in his old wounds.

Soft pink scars crossed along the front of his thighs beneath the hem of his briefs and got progressively worse down his left leg. The kneecap was disfigured as if part of it had been scooped out and replaced with a lumpier version and the skin was more scar tissue than anything the further down it went until his socks covered any further damage.

Tears slid down her cheeks. “How?” she whispered.

“Mayura created this huge beast,” Nino answered, reaching down to pull Adrien’s pants back up his legs. “It attacked when he went in to talk to Hawkmoth and put Chat Noir out of commission almost immediately.”

“Nathalie didn’t know I was Chat Noir,” Adrien said quietly. 

“I can’t have this conversation with you again.” Nino went back to lean against the counter, not meeting either of their eyes. “He was in a wheelchair for almost two years.”

“But I worked hard with physical therapy and now I’m mostly better.”

Nino clenched his jaw but didn’t respond.

Marinette blinked up at him with wet eyes. “Adrien, I’m so—“

“Please don’t say you’re sorry again. You have nothing to be sorry for, my Lady,” he chided gently, reaching out to touch her bare shoulder. His thumb slid across the freckled surface. “I’ve missed you so much. We’ve missed you.”

“It’s been so long for you.” Marinette caught Nino’s eyes and saw the stricken look on his face. She suddenly felt very self-conscious sitting naked in the bath. “I…maybe it’s for the best if I go home to my parents for a while.”

“Wait. What? No, why would you do that?” Adrien looked between Marinette and Nino, an edge of panic leaking into his voice. “We have plenty of room for you at home. We can buy new stuff if we need to. You’ll need clothes and—“

“Adrien, can I talk to Marinette alone for a minute?” Nino asked, voice quiet.

Stubborn anger slid into Adrien’s expression and there was the sound of shifting water and Marinette reached out to squeeze his hand. “Just a minute,” she promised.

He reluctantly stood and hobbled towards the door. “You better be nice,” he whispered harshly before going out into the hall.

Marinette pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

Nino slumped down to the floor and leaned against the wall so he could face her. “I don’t really know how to answer that.”

“I don’t know what to do here. For me, I was with you guys just a few days ago. We made love just a few days ago, but for you…” She closed her eyes. “I understand if this doesn’t work anymore.”

“Adrien will want to stay with you,” Nino replied finally after a few seconds of heavy silence. “I can start looking for a new place to live and you two can have the apartment. It’s already set up for him anyway. He tries to act like he’s not in pain but he is. You have to watch out for him or he tries to do too much. Alya will probably let me crash here for a while.” He dared a glance up to see Marinette’s shoulders shaking in a silent sob as she buried her face against her knees. “Mari…”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, voice shaky. “I just…everything with Adrien and you’re still the love of my life so I might need some time. This is all….” Her voice broke. “I’ve missed so much and all I want right now is for you to hold me and I feel like I can’t even...”

Nino felt years of guilt and misery bubble up and he was crawling over the side of the bathtub, water rising up to run out onto the floor as Marinette let out a surprised gasp. He pulled her as close as he could in their positions and kissed her as a sob threatened to force its way out of his throat. He pressed apologies against her lips and she cried and kissed him back with promises to never leave again.  
____________________________

“Your phone is ruined,” Adrien chuckled, tossing the dead device on the bed.

“I don’t care,” Nino replied simply as he dragged the brush through Marinette’s damp hair.

“And your watch.”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m sensing a pattern here,” Alya whispered conspiratorially, offering Marinette a cup of coffee. 

Marinette giggled and reached out of her blanket to take it as Nino continued to brush her hair. He began to hum softly and Adrien settled down at her side. “He never does this anymore.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Nino reminded him.

“That’s fine. Just don’t stop humming.”

Nino paused for a moment to make a point but then he began again, the brush sliding through Marinette’s long hair easily. 

“You made a mess of my bathroom,” Alya sighed dramatically. “I think I’ll have to throw out my bathmat from waterlog.”

“We’ll get you a new one, a better one,” Adrien promised happily, snuggling in closet to Marinette’s side. “It’s mostly Nino’s fault anyway.”

“Yeah, because you barging in and wedging yourself into the tub with us definitely didn’t displace any water,” Nino laughed.

Alya watched exhaustion slide into Marinette’s features. She reached out and squeezed her knee through the blanket. “Are you sure you’re up to seeing your parents today? It’s okay if you want to get some rest and go visit them tomorrow.”

“I need to see them today.”

“Okay,” she nodded.

Marinette looked relieved at her easy acceptance. She reached up to feel her naked earlobes. Nino had taken her earrings before her bath and she’d felt relief at letting them go for a while. “How’s Tikki?”

“Still down for the count but the others said she’s healing. Chloe and Nathaniel left their Miraculous here so Pollen and Nooroo could stay and lend their strength.”

“Nathaniel has a Miraculous?” she blinked.

“We have a lot to catch you up on,” Alya smiled. “But that can happen later. I’ve missed you so much, girl.”

“I feel like we were just together so it seems silly to say I miss you,” Marinette admitted. “But I’m really glad to be back. Thank you for finding me.” She wiggled her other arm out of the blanket and linked her hand with Alya’s.

“I could never bring myself to stop looking,” Alya said softly. “I’m just happy it paid off.” She realized Nino stopped humming and she spared a quick glance up at him. His face was an unreadable mask even as he continued to work on Marinette’s hair.   
____________________________

“I heard what you said, you know,” Adrien murmured as they watched Tom and Sabine cry over Marinette and cover her with hugs and kisses. “About leaving us.”

“We don’t need to do this now,” Nino said, keeping his voice quiet. “Today needs to be able Marinette.”

“This is about Marinette.”

“Adrien, please.”

“Do you not love me?”

Nino felt his heart clench and he made sure to look Adrien in the eyes. “I love you with everything in me.”

Adrien frowned. “So it’s her?”

“No. I love her too. I feel like my heart is going to explode with so much happiness that she’s back and safe.”

“I don’t understand.”

Nino let out a shuddering breath and glanced at the Dupain-Cheng family to make sure their attention hadn’t strayed to the men on the other side of the room. “I don’t deserve you, either of you, okay? I was able to lie to myself so I could keep you but now that Marinette is back, I need to do the right thing and let you both go.”

“That doesn’t make sense. What changed?” Adrien pushed. “Nino, everything will be better now. Marinette is going to come home and it will be like it was before.”

“No, it won’t. I’ve changed too much.”

“Then you can change again.”

“Stop being naïve. You’re smarter than this.”

Adrien snapped his mouth shut, jaw clenching in anger. “You’re the one being an idiot,” he hissed. “You aren’t going anywhere. Not yet. We have to talk about this, all three of us.”

Nino stood. “I need some air.”

“Nino, you aren’t leaving, are you?” Marinette was looking at him with wide eyes, the laughter from something her father said leaking from her expression. 

“I was just going to step outside.”

She looked to both of her parents. “Actually, it’s probably time for us to go. I’m really tired.”

Tom and Sabine shared concerned looks. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay here with us tonight, honey? We would love to have you.”

Marinette stood on shaky legs. “I appreciate it but I want to go home.” She looked back at Adrien and Nino. “With them.” She smiled and hugged her mother and then her father. “But I’ll be back by tomorrow for sure.”  
____________________________

Marinette took in the layout of the condo as Nino and Adrien led her around. It was much bigger than the small apartment they’d shared when their relationship first began, the apartment she still thought of as her home. She had a brief moment to wonder where all her things had gone. Surely they’d gotten rid of them after all this time. It was warming to see pieces of her all of the place, Ladybug artwork and photos of the three of them together. There were quite a few photos of only Adrien and Nino together too. 

Ten years.

They’d been together without her for ten years. Maybe she should’ve taken up her parents’ offer to stay home with them. She was feeling decidedly out of place. 

“You’re thinking about something really hard,” Adrien commented as he watched her circle the living room. “What do you think of our place?”

“You guys have built a really nice life together.”

“We like it. If you want to look for something new though, we can,” he offered. “We could all three go find a place together.”

She tentatively sat on the edge of the couch and tugged on the sleeve of the shirt Alya had lent her. “I think we need to talk about the three of us.”

Nino stayed quiet in the lounge chair across from the both of them. 

“What do you want to talk about?” Adrien prodded.

Marinette rolled the hem of the sleeve between her thumb and forefinger. “I can see that you guys have made a life together and honestly,” she looked around the large living room, “it’s so beautiful and I can see it’s filled with love. So I will understand if there’s no place for me anymore.”

“Marinette, no, that’s not true at all,” Adrien assured her with a quick look to Nino.

She held up a hand. “I’m trying to be logical about this. For me, it feels like just yesterday we were eating sandwiches around that chipped counter at our old place and talking about life after Hawkmoth and Mayura, but you guys have been past that stage for years, and I don’t think we should pretend that isn’t the case.”

“We’ve never stopped loving you though,” Nino said, voice low. “Not once.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be easy for me to slip back into your lives.”

“Who needs easy?” Adrien grimaced as he went down to his knees in front of her and Nino was immediately there, trying to help him. “We want you with us. We love you so much, Marinette. We’ll make it work however we need to.”

“Nino?” Marinette whispered, feeling her eyes sting with unshed tears. “I need to hear it.”

He met her gaze with one of broken surrender. “I’m here as long as you’ll have me. I love you both with everything I’ve got.”

She took in a shaky breath and nodded. “Then can we go to bed now?”

Adrien laughed softly. “Anything you want, my lady.”

He braced one arm against the couch and Nino helped him stand. Marinette ducked under his raised arm and the three of them walked to the bedroom. They shed their clothes and Marinette declined Nino’s offer of pajamas. The men curled against her sides, two strong arms crossing her body as they held her close.

There were a lot of things that would need to be figured out but for now, this was enough.


	6. Chapter 6

“Hi, this is Adrien, Nino’s partner…mmhmm...Nino had a family emergency come up yesterday that he’s still dealing with, but he should be back tomorrow.”

Marinette roused to the sound of Adrien’s hushed voice beside her. She blinked bleary eyes and saw him shoot her an apologetic smile.

“Thank you so much. I’ll let him know and have him call you if anything changes.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and checked the screen to make sure the call had ended before turning on his side to look at her. “Sorry, I was calling out of work for him.” He looked past Marinette and she felt Nino’s warmth radiating against her back.

“Is he still asleep?” she whispered.

“He was,” Nino grumbled even as he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Adrien smiled and scooted closer until the tip of his nose bumped Marinette’s. She laughed softly and closed her eyes when she felt Nino press a kiss against the back of her shoulder. Everything felt warm and happy and right. The previous few days were nothing but a bad dream now…

“Marinette? Are you hungry?”

She blinked and realized the room was much brighter than it had been moments before. “I fell back asleep,” she said, rubbing her eyes.

Adrien grinned. “You snored too. It was cute.”

She groaned and rolled over. “Nino?”

“He’s in the shower. I was going to go start on some pancakes if that sounds good.”

What sounded good was staying in the bed a little longer but Marinette pushed herself up to her elbows. “Can I borrow some clothes?”

“You really don’t have to,” he smirked. 

“Kitty.”

His expression melted into one of complete adoration. “I’ve missed that so much.”

Marinette caught herself before she apologized again for something that had been completely out of her control. Instead she reached out and cupped his cheek. “Me calling you Kitty or the tone of voice I use when you’re toeing the line?”

“Both,” he grinned. 

She laughed and sat up more, pulling the sheets with her. “I guess it would be silly to hope that you kept an old pair of jeans or something, huh?”

“We do actually still have all of your stuff,” he assured her. “What we didn’t keep here and what your parents didn’t take is in a storage unit. We can go through it later today if you’re up to it.” He ducked his head. “We just couldn’t bring ourselves to get rid of any of it yet.” He looked at her then and beamed. “And good thing too, I guess.”

Marinette still wasn’t ready to decipher how knowing they’d waited ten years for her made her feel so she pushed past it. “Do you have some sweats I can borrow and roll up really, really high?”

“I might be able to find something.” He leaned forward to kiss her forehead and then pushed himself off the bed in a practiced movement, taking up the cane he’d rested against the mattress with ease. He hobbled to the walk-in closet and disappeared from her sight. Marinette felt her skin go cold watching the way he moved. Adrien had always been so fluid before, racing across rooftops as Chat Noir or lunging with a foil while fencing when he’d still found the time to make it to classes as a guest instructor after they’d graduated. Seeing him like this was...

She swallowed back the feelings of guilt and let resolve settle in place. She would find out exactly what happened that day against Hawkmoth and Mayura and who was responsible for what and then she would take care of things the best she could. She knew it wasn’t logical but she felt like she had a big mess to clean up. Ladybug was the one who always reset everything. She always helped and healed and made things better and this time she’d left everyone she loved in turmoil and disappeared for a decade. It hadn’t been her choice but that didn’t lessen the feelings she was having. 

She felt eyes on her and turned to see Nino watching her from the open bathroom door. There was a dark blue towel wrapped around his waist and his hair was in short waves, still heavy with water from the shower. They shared a look of understanding and she found comfort in that.

“Ah-ha!” Adrien stepped out of the closet triumphantly brandishing a pair of black lounge pants with a bright green paw print on one leg. “These are even a little short on me so I think they should work. We can go shopping today if you want.”

“What do you want to do today?” Nino went to the dresser and pulled a pair of briefs from the top drawer. 

Marinette held her breath until he dropped his towel and pulled them on without ceremony just like he’d done every other morning she could remember. Things still felt uncertain with Nino but that small action felt like a step in the right direction. “I’d like to see my parents again,” she answered. “And Alya and Chloe too.”

“We could have them over for dinner.” Adrien pulled his shirt off over his head while juggling the pants. “And we could just go to the bakery for breakfast instead of pancakes.” He tossed the shirt in the direction of a hamper in the corner and Nino grunted when it landed on the floor just in front of it.

“Dude.”

“It’s almost there!” Adrien grinned. “So close.”

“You getting in the shower then?”

“Yeah, I think I smell a little.” He lifted his arm in demonstration.

Marinette watched their interaction and wondered if just for that moment, they’d forgotten she was there. Was this how it was for them all the time she was gone? A thought occurred to her. “Do you need help in the shower?”

Nino rolled his eyes when he caught Adrien’s beaming smile. “He is fully capable of taking a shower on his own, Mari. He’s got a bench and railing and his own showerhead. Just so you know in case someone tries to play things up a bit.”

Adrien touched his chest in exaggerated shock. “I would never use my injuries to get my way.”

“You do it all the time.”

“Name one time.”

Nino held up a hand and began to count off fingers. “Let’s see. When you want to watch something that I don’t want to watch, when you are trying to get out of physical therapy, when you are begging for a cat. Do I really need to go on?”

“I said name one.” Adrien fluttered his eyelashes. “Besides, I bet Marinette wants a cat too.”

Nino swatted his butt. “Go get in the shower, you nuisance.”

“I have to give something to Marinette first,” he sniffed, hobbling over to the bed. He made a show of offering her the pants and then leaned down for a kiss. She giggled against his lips and he pulled away with a smile. “You can join me if you want, but no, I don’t need help.”

“I’ll leave you to it then,” she winked.

He sighed dramatically but pushed away from the bed again. Nino swatted at him once more with his shirt as he passed by to get to the bathroom. “Did he get you a shirt?”

She held up the pants. “I think he got distracted.”

“Sounds right. Hang on, I’ve got the perfect thing.” He went back to his dresser and shuffled some things around before he pulled out a worn pink shirt.

“Is that the turtlebug shirt?” she gasped, reaching for it before he’d even neared the bed.

“The one and only,” he laughed. He sat down beside her and unfolded the shirt that displayed a confusing decal of a turtle with a ladybug shell surrounded by hearts. 

“This is my favorite shirt,” she sighed happily, letting the sheet fall so she could pull the shirt over her head. “You kept it here?”

He shrugged, cheeks darkening. “We packed away most of your stuff but I couldn’t seem to let that one go.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.” She reached for his hand. “How are you feeling about things today?”

Nino linked his fingers with hers. “I’m happy you’re home.”

“Promise?”

“Overjoyed. I’m just a little nervous, that’s all.”

“Because I might not fit now?” Marinette let her fear finally be spoken. It wasn’t one she could say to Adrien because she knew he wouldn’t understand but Nino would. Somehow she was certain of that.

“Because I might not,” he corrected. “I’m not…I’m different than I was.”

“Adrien is too. I can see it in both of you.”

“Yeah, but he’s not different in a bad way.”

Marinette squeezed his hand. “Neither are you. I can’t imagine what you guys have been through since I…thinking I was dead, but you’re still you and I love you both so much.” She looked down at their hands. “But I know losing either of you would destroy a part of me too.”

“Yeah,” he murmured, “it does that.”

“A day at a time then, just like when we started.”

Nino met her eyes with a look of surprised understanding. “Yeah, I guess we had a few rocky moments then too.”

“Chat Noir was in love with Ladybug,” she remembered. “But Marinette thought she loved Adrien and then got confused when she got set up on a date with Nino and found him to be irresistibly adorable.”

“And Nino realizing he might not be completely straight when he and Adrien moved in together and started sharing very little space,” he chuckled softly. “Man, I remember the night you came over to celebrate our new place and I couldn’t decide whose attention I wanted more.”

She rubbed her thumb along his knuckle. “The first night the three of us fell into bed together,” she whispered.

He closed his eyes. “Yeah,” he breathed. “That was something all right.”

“Adrien was so happy.”

“And we were complete disasters.”

“See,” she said with a smile, “this is just another awkward morning after to get through. And honestly, this one is going a whole lot better than that one so far.”

“You always make things seem simple.” Nino brought their joined hands to his lips for a kiss. 

“What’s not going to be simple is explaining how I’m really not dead,” she sighed. “I don’t even know how to start or who to talk to.”

“We’ll figure something out.”

The bathroom door opened and Adrien appeared without a stitch of clothing on him, water droplets dropping down his skin from his wet hair. “You guys are in bed together,” he grinned. “And I was listening through the door.”

“That’s shocking,” Nino replied dryly but he was already holding out an arm. “You already showered?”

“The fastest one I’ve ever taken.” Adrien hobbled over as quickly as he could and threw himself to the bed with a triumphant laugh, scooting up until he could wedge himself between them.

“You’re so proud of yourself right now, aren’t you?” Marinette teased, pushing away his wet hair. She let her eyes trail down his chest and then his stomach, bracing herself for what she hadn’t seen the night before. The pink scars trailed up all the way up from his left leg and both thighs to the top of his pelvic bone but he seemed intact otherwise.

“It took a while,” he said quietly, catching her gaze. 

Her eyes shot up to his in guilty surprise but Adrien’s expression was blank. Nino was statue still beside them both.

“It was more mental than anything,” he continued after a moment. “I’m fine now though, where it counts. Just ask Nino.” He waggled his eyebrows but it was just a motion with no real feeling behind it.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, curling against him.

“It wasn’t your fault,” he quickly replied but he didn’t try to brighten the mood or keep them all cheerful. He pulled her against him and relished the feeling of Nino’s arms sliding around them both. “We’re all safe now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was writing this chapter, I realized some people might be surprised by the casual nudity between the three of them so I wanted to make a note. All relationships are different but I try to write from what I know and I'm in a very casual nudity kind of relationship so seeing each other nude isn't always a sexual thing. The three of them were together for years before Marinette disappeared and Adrien and Nino have still been together this whole time so I feel like this works for them. 
> 
> The guys are also trying to not push for sex yet since they are all still figuring things out but more hinting at the possibility. :)


End file.
